How to vote in Atlanta: advance voting to Oct 30, polls 7 to 7

Who can register, and the deadline

To register in Georgia, you must be a U.S. citizen and a legal resident of your county. You must be at least 17 and a half to register, and 18 to vote. You cannot be serving a sentence for a felony involving moral turpitude. A judge must not have found you mentally incompetent. The state's list is on Georgia.gov: Register to Vote.

The registration deadline for this election was Monday, October 5, 2026. It is on the Secretary of State's 2026 Election Calendar and the state's Georgia Election Guide.

That deadline has passed. If you are not registered, you cannot vote in the November 3 election. Register now for the next one, online at registertovote.sos.ga.gov or through vote.gov.

Check your status, your polling place and your sample ballot on the Secretary of State's My Voter Page.

Vote early: October 13 to October 30

Georgia calls early voting advance voting. It runs Tuesday, October 13 to Friday, October 30, 2026, per the Secretary of State's 2026 calendar.

In Fulton County, you can vote at any of the county's 32 advance voting locations. You are not limited to your Election Day precinct. The county's list of sites is in its October 1 early voting announcement.

Fulton County hours, from the same announcement:

• Monday to Friday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday: noon to 5 p.m.

Saturday voting runs October 17 and October 24. Sunday voting runs October 18 and October 25 in Fulton County.

Vote by mail: absentee ballots

Any registered Georgia voter can request an absentee ballot. You do not need a reason. The request window runs August 17 to October 23, 2026, per the Secretary of State's calendar.

Your application must be received by your county elections office by Friday, October 23. A postmark does not count. The Georgia Election Guide states the received-by rule.

Apply through the My Voter Page, which also tracks your application and ballot.

Return your ballot one of three ways:

• By mail. It must arrive by 7 p.m. on Election Day, November 3. Postmarks do not save a late ballot.
• By drop box. Drop boxes sit inside early voting locations and are open only during early voting hours. Seven Fulton County sites have one, per the county's announcement.
• By hand. Deliver it to a Fulton County registrar's office by 7 p.m. on Election Day. The county lists four offices, including the Government Center at 136 Peachtree Street in Atlanta.

What ID to bring

Georgia requires a photo ID at the polls. The Georgia Election Guide puts it plainly: you must present a valid state-issued ID.

Accepted ID includes a Georgia driver's license, even if expired, a U.S. passport, a U.S. military photo ID, a tribal photo ID, a government employee photo ID, or a student ID from a Georgia public college or university.

If you have none of these, you can get a free Georgia voter ID card at any county registrar's office or Department of Driver Services location.

If a poll worker cannot verify your information, you can cast a provisional ballot. You then have three days to resolve the issue with your county registrar, per the state guide.

Election Day: Tuesday, November 3

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Election Day you must vote at your assigned polling place, per the Georgia Election Guide. If you are in line by 7 p.m., you can vote.

Confirm your polling place on the My Voter Page before you go. Polling places can change. You can also start at vote.gov.

If something goes wrong

For a problem at the polls, contact the Secretary of State. The Georgia Election Guide lists 404-656-2871 for metro Atlanta and 877-725-9797 toll-free, plus an online complaint form.

For Fulton County questions, call the Department of Registration and Elections main office at 404-612-7020. The number is on the county's elections pages.

For registration questions, the Secretary of State lists 404-656-2881 on the My Voter Page.

What happens next

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. If a race needs a runoff, Georgia holds it on December 1, per the state election guide.

What you can do

Check your status on My Voter Page today. Pick the advance voting site nearest your home or work. If you vote by mail, return the ballot early, because it must arrive by 7 p.m. on November 3.